Tips for Getting Started on Upwork

[MichaelJ]

Getting started on Upwork can be challenging. Here are some top tips that can help you succeed.

Complete Your Profile

First, it can be very helpful to complete your profile 100%. It’s important to understand that there are certain sections that must be completed in order to reach 100%. You can even technically exceed 100% completion. The more fields you complete on your profile, the better your chances of winning work. Also, your profile must be 100% complete in order to qualify for badges such as Rising Talent and Top Rated. Check out this help article for more information on the numerous ways you can reach 100% or more completion. I also recommend this article about why a great title and overview can make a difference.

Set Your Profile Visibility

Second, we recommend updating your profile visibility. Once you’ve crafted the perfect profile, you’ll want clients to be able to see it. When setting your profile visibility, you have three options: Public, Only Upwork Users, or Private.  If you set your profile to private, it will be excluded from the Upwork marketplace and search engines. This means clients won’t see you when they search for freelancers. Therefore, it’s in your best interest to set your profile visibility to Public or Only Upwork Users.

Submit Proposals

Third, submit proposals! This may seem like an obvious step, but it’s one that often doesn’t receive enough attention from new freelancers. By regularly submitting proposals for projects that fit your skills, you not only increase your chances of winning work, but you also prevent your profile from being automatically set to private, which can happen if you are inactive from the platform. As you submit more proposals, you will also learn what does and doesn’t get the attention of clients. Also, remember, that you may have to submit more than 5 proposals before you win your first project. Persistence is key. To help improve the quality of your proposals, I invite you to read about how to create a proposal that wins jobs and take in this proven advice from freelancers on Upwork. Also, check out this great article about How To Get More Jobs on Upwork in 2022!

[nelson_endurance]

Hey,

thanks a lot Mike J, i´m a new member in the community and i think your post it´s very helpful.

greetings, Nelson.

[fnorgbedzi]

Hello Mike, Thanks for your interest to help new Freelancers like me. I would be glad if you can help me build my profile, Please reply me so that i can share my profile with you for review. 

Thank you.

Francis.

[MichaelJ]

Hi Francis,

I will send you a private message.

[crockettwill]

Hi Mike,

Could you do a review of my profile and offers some feedback? I'd appreciate some feedback on the profile overall. 

Also, as someone just starting out, I'm trying to figure out how to position myself. I can do two things: I'm a great marketing specialist and I can also do a lot of great admin tasks like data entry and cleanup, internet research, VA, etc. Can I straddle both in a single profile or is it better to commit to being a marketing specialist or an admin/data entry-cleanup person?

Thanks,

Will

[MichaelJ]

Hi Will,

Thanks for your message. I reviewed your profile and you're off to a great start! I have a few suggestions:

• The beginning of your profile overview displays in prospective client search results. So, your first sentence should include clear, relevant information about your primary skill sets and expertise.
• Consider talking more about the outcomes you've provided. You talk a lot about your skills, but not how you've used those skills to assist clients.
• Your portfolio gives you the opportunity to impress potential clients with real-life examples of your skills and expertise. To help you look your best, consider showcasing 4+ examples of your best work. Learn more about building a great portfolio here.
• Here are some additional tips for writing a great Title and Overview.

As for how to position yourself, I would suggest creating specialized profiles for each of your two main skills. This will allow you to write a focused overview for each of them.

I hope this helps!

[alamin08]

Hello Mike, 

Can you please review my profile, everything is okay? And suggest to me how to improve my profile to always get in touch Upwork talent success manager like you and the client to get more invitations. Please review and let me know. 

Thanks in advance,

Al Amin

[MichaelJ]

Hi Md. A,

Thank you for your message. I reviewed your profile and have a suggestion. The beginning of your profile overview displays in prospective client search results and it’s your first 200-character pitch. So, your first sentence should include clear, relevant information about your primary skill sets and expertise.

To give a clear impression you’re the person the client wants to talk to, here are some additional tips for writing a great Overview.

I hope this helps!

[6627f461]

Hello MD A,

Can you please check my profile is fully completed ?

[MichaelJ]

Hi Wasim,

I looked at your profile and noticed a few things:

• Your profile is only 40% complete. It must be 100% complete to qualify for any badges such as Rising Talent or Top Rated. You can review this article for the various ways to reach 100%.
• The beginning of your profile overview displays in prospective client search results and it’s your first 200-character pitch. So, your first sentence should include clear, relevant information about your primary skill sets and expertise.

• Your profile overview is short compared to the average. Upwork’s research shows clients see it as a positive signal if the profile is well written and comprehensive. Therefore, consider crafting your overview as a pitch to prospective clients. 

  • Help clients understand your abilities better by listing information about your skills and experience in an original and creative way. 
  • Focus on how you can help clients achieve their goals. For example, expand on who you are, the services you offer, and what you’re most passionate about. 
  • Be clear on your expertise and mention specialized software or tools. 
  • If appropriate, let your personality shine through (include some excitement), and show your qualities and praise the work you do, instead of focusing on yourself.
  • Other examples of information you can include are past accomplishments and projects, preferred working style, and your business’ values (e.g. I believe in strong communications or thorough upfront planning), industries or lines of businesses you have worked in before, and the types of clients you have worked with before (start-ups, solo entrepreneurs, large businesses, etc.). 

I hope this helps!

[8c158dd2]

Hello! I am Hannah. Im new here at Upwork. I've completed my profile. I have submitted proposals to mny clients also but I never landed on a job. Anyone who can give me advice?

[MichaelJ]

Hi Hannah,

I think your profile is off to a good start, but the first couple of sentences could be put to better use. The beginning of your profile overview displays in prospective client search results and it’s your first 200-character pitch. So, your first sentence should include clear, relevant information about your primary skill sets and expertise. Right now you are using this precious space to mention that you are a freelancer working for clients around the globe. That's unnecessary information given the nature of Upwork.

To give a clear impression you’re the person the client wants to talk to, here are some additional tips for writing a great Overview.

[photoshopcc]

Hi Mike,

Can you check my profile and recommend changes if any to win contracts. Please help me mike.

[MichaelJ]

Hi Prokash, 

Thank you for your message. I have reviewed your profile and have some suggestions:

• You use the word "our" in your profile, but your profile must only represent your individual skills. Please update this.
• The beginning of your profile overview displays in prospective client search results and it’s your first 200-character pitch. So, your first sentence should include clear, relevant information about your primary skill sets and expertise.

• Your written English skills are strong and you are easy to understand. However, I did see a few minor errors. If you'd like to add extra polish, you might want to consider using Grammarly. I use this myself and really like it because it's free and it offers a Chrome add-on so it works in webmail, messages, proposals, and more.

To give a clear impression you’re the person the client wants to talk to, here are some additional tips for writing a great Overview.

I hope this helps!

[shoaibshoaib20]

Hello Mike

Hope you are fine.

Sir can you please review my profile and suggest to me what should I do to impress clients and do work more.

[MichaelJ]

Hi Muhammad Ashfaq,

Your profile is off to a strong start. Here are some articles that might help improve your success on Upwork:

• Tips from Freelancers: Best Practices for Success
• How to Create a Proposal That Wins Jobs
• How to Ace Your Next Client Interview

[e7b93670]

Hi Mike,

I have joined Upwork quite recently. My profile is 100% completed with a decent portfolio attached and I am still struggling to get the jobs here. In fact, I have sent 168 proposals so far and received only 1 job in return which is very disappointing. Would love your suggestions, mate. 

Cheers,

Andy.

[MichaelJ]

Hi Andy,

Your profile looks good. However, I noticed your hours are set to “As Needed”. Because different independent professionals use this setting to communicate different things (some mean their workload is varying, some mean that they are booked - but will consider very attractive offers) it may be a detractor to receiving relevant invites. It might be helpful to instead use the “Less than 30” or “More than 30” option - depending upon which is closest to your current projected available hours. Check out this article to help you set your hours.

You may also find these articles helpful:

• How to Write a Cover Letter
• How to Create a Proposal That Wins Jobs
• How to Write Proposals: Proven Advice From Freelancers on Upwork

[423c4e52]

Hi Mike,

I hope you're good. Can you pls review my profile. 

I shall be grateful. 

Regards,

Qandeel

[3e779b57]

Hi Mike,
Please review my profile.
And please help me, I had applied over 95 proposal, but didn't managed to win a single job. Please give me some help and advice for this.

[MichaelJ]

Hi Alok,

Thank you for your message. I see you are already off to agreat start. Congratulations on your 100% Job Success Score! I did review your profile and have some suggestions:

• Based on your noted skills, your title may not provide a full overview of your expertise. Precise titles that specify the services you offer are more likely to catch the attention of clients that need your expertise.
• The beginning of your profile Overview displays in prospective client search results and it’s your first 200-character pitch. So, your first sentence should include clear, relevant information about your primary skill sets and expertise. I suggest removing "Hello Everyone" from the start of your Overview as it is unnecessary and takes up precious real estate in the search results.

• Your profile overview is short compared to the average. Upwork’s research shows clients see it as a positive signal if the profile is well written and comprehensive. Therefore, consider crafting your overview as a pitch to prospective clients. 

  • Help clients understand your abilities better by listing information about your skills and experience in an original and creative way. 
  • Focus on how you can help clients achieve their goals. For example, expand on who you are, the services you offer, and what you’re most passionate about. 
  • Other examples of information you can include are past accomplishments and projects, preferred working style, and your business’ values (e.g. I believe in strong communications or thorough upfront planning), industries or lines of businesses you have worked in before, and the types of clients you have worked with before (start-ups, solo entrepreneurs, large businesses, etc.). 

To give a clear impression you’re the person the client wants to talk to, here are some additional tips for writing a great Overview.

I hope this helps!

[a1b82e57]

Hi Mike!

I really need your opinion, I sent you a private message.

Thank you!

Best regards,

Begüm

[badis99]

I need some advice from you to get some jobs if you want.

[prestonhunter]

https://community.upwork.com/t5/New-to-Upwork/Getting-Started-on-Upwork/m-p/264214#M2460

[fa3c95a9]

Hello Mike!

I am fairly new. My account was not active and i started using upwork. Got couple contracts and its been going good.

But i couldnt find a clear "requirements" for becoming a "rising star" 

And i hear that the %20 comission fee is reduced to %10 somehow. How does that happen and how does it work?

Also, it would be an amazing bonus if you'd take a look at my profile and guide me towards a better presentation.

Thank you very much